Box-toe-conditioning machine



June 24, 1930. s. Fs, LOVELL 1,766,442

BOX TOE CONDITIONING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29. 1925 lll /5 \\\\\\\w///f 916'4 /5 i /44 a Y l MQW ,www

June 24, 1930. s. P. Lovl-:LL 1,766,442

BOX TOE CONDITIONING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'g ami 79 12W/guan' Patentecl June 24, 193() UNITED STATES MiG-@442 PATENT)crema STANLEY`P. LGVELL, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, TO UNITESHOE MACHINERY CORPOIt-A'lIt'llsl',- 0F PATERSUN, NEW JERSEY, A.CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY BOX-TOE-CONDITIONING MACHINE Application filedAugust 29, 1923. Serial No. 659,922.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of boots andshoes andmore particularly to the treatmentor` preparation of shoe parts, such,for example,l as box toes, for incorporation in the shoe.-

It is the present practice in assembling the shoe parts, whereself-hardening box toes are employed, for the operator to treat orprepare 'pr condition, as it is'commonly termed, the box toe byltreatingthe blank with the proper solution orby subjecting it to therequiredheat so that it may become iiexible and while in that conditionmay be assembled-on the last with the other shoe parts and pulled-overor lasted to give it the desired shape, which it will retain afterdrying out or cooling.

x It is the object of the present invention to provide a machine forpreparing or treating shoe parts, and particularly box toe blanks, whichwill deliver the treated parts or box toes to the operator as requiredfor use and in the proper condition and without effort or judgment onthe part of the operator. y, n

' With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following specifications, the presentinvention consists in thedevices and combination 'of devices hereinafterdescribed and particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which i1- lustrate what is now consideredto be the preferred form of apparatus embodyingthe present invention,Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a treating and conditioningmechanism; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig.l; Fig. 3 shows in enlarged elevation the separator andfeed slide andplate; Fig. 4 is a plan, partly in section, of the combinedpulling-overand conditioning machine; and Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the drivingand- Acontrollingy devices for theconditioning mechanism.

In the illustrated embodiment ofthe present invention the conditioningmechanism is located in close proximity to the pullingover machine sothat there may/be a common drive and control. This arrangementprovidesfor the delivery of the treated or conwith a `square, front end24,over-hanging vwhich is the separator having a bevelled ditioned box toesat a point convenient for;

the operator of the pulling-over machine and as fast as the operatorcanv use them, one conditioned box toe being delivered for each completecycle of operation of the pulling-over machine.

The .conditioning mechanism, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,comprises a closed lchamber 1 having :a top 2, bottom 3,.sides 4, andends 5. An open tank or receptacle 6 is provided within the chamber forholdmg the treating or conditioning liquid and through which the boxtoes are passed while in the tank 6. The driving pulley 9 on the shaft15 is given successive single revolutlons by mechanism hereinafter to bedescribed, to advancethe belt or conveyor 7 l inthe directionI of thearrow, in intermittent successive movements. ,l

The box toe blanks are delivered to the conveyor 7 from a magazine 16 inwhich they .are stacked, a weight 17 holding the blanks under suflicientpressure to insure the properpseparation and feeding of the lowermostblank from the stack by the feedsoN ing mechanism. This comprises ablade 18 g mounted upon a 'slide 19 and actuated by` means of a link'n20and a crank 21 on the driving shaft l5.. The blade' 18 is formed edge25. The blanks are stacked in the mag- 'imy azine with thepskived orbevelled portions i in the rear,an`d theseparator edge 25 enteringbetweenthe skived or bevelled edges of the lowermo'st and the nextadjacent blanks, I

separates the former from *the stack and permits the squarelend 24 ofthe blade 18 to feed such lowernrost blank from beneath the stack andthrough a throat 27 onto the conve or 7 with each revolution of theshaft 15.

n order to hold the blanks in contact with the conveyor so that theywill be carried by the latter beneath theV surface of the liquid in thetank 6, two narrow downwardlybowed spring members 29 are mounted on thebottom of the reservoir 31 for the treating liquid. This reservoir issupported upon ,the horizontal portion of the top 2 of the chamber 1 andis provided on its bottom with' a depending pipe 32, the lower end ofwhich is -ust beneath the surface of the liquid int e tank 6. Anairtight filler cap 33 permits the-automatic flow of 'liquid from thereservoir 31 into the tank 6 in a wellknown manner, to automaticallymaintain a constant level of liquid in the tank. A valve in the pipe 32controlled by the thumb nut 34 may be closed whenever it is desired tore-fill the reservoir or to remove the same bodily? from the top of theconditioning mechanism where it rests in the seat or recess formed bythe upstanding ilange 35.

The treated or conditioned blanks are delivered onto a table or bench 36through an opening in the chamber, normally closed by the hinged door orgate 37 A spring-finger 38- mounted within the chamber adjacent the dooracts to hold the rear end of the blank in contact with the conveyor asthe latter is carried around the pulley 11, not only thereby tending tofree the front end of the blank from the conveyor, if there is anyadherence, but also insuring the opening by the blank of theself-closing gate or door 37 L A comb 39 fixed uponwthe table or bench36 is also provided to separate any adhering blank from the conveyor,the teeth of the comb entering between the supporting wires of theconveyor and beneath the blank held thereon.

The bottom 3 of the chamber 1 is formedV with a depression 40 to collectand retain the excess of liquid which drains or drips from the blanks asthey pass from the tank 6 to the point of discharge. A draw-off cock 41permits the withdrawal from time to time of this accumulation of thisexcess.

Except for the narrow throat or opening- 27 through which untreatedblanks are delivered to the conveyor and which is practically 'closed atall times eitherl b a blank or the feed plate, 'and the norma y closeddischarge opening, the chamber 1 :isV substantially air tight, thuspreventing the escape into the atmosphere of vapors of the treatingliquid. This is a feature of importance, not only because this escapewould mean a loss and waste of the treating li uid, but also becausesuch liquid'consistso or is composed of, alohol or naphtha or similarliquids which form inflammable and explosive gases. Furthermore, thisfeature permits an atmosphere saturated with the treating liquid to bemaintained within the chamber 1, thereby insuring the delivery of prop.-

erly conditioned box toes irrespective of how long a time beyond theminimum the treated blanks may be retained in the chamber. Delays areoften experienced in the pullingover operation and the work may bestopped altogether, -yet owing to the saturated atmosphere within theenclosed chamber the evaporation of the-liquid from the treated` blankis prevented and hardening of the box will not occur.

In the treatment of the box toe blanks by the conditioning liquid it isdesirable that theblank be dipped into the liquid only momentarilyh forotherwise the stiiening compound in the blank might be. dissolved orotherwise aifected. Accordingly, the actuatingA mechanism for theconveyor or belt is so arranged that a blank will be delivered from themagazine onto the conveyor belt with one rotationof the shaft 15. On thenext rotation this blank will be passed into and out of the liquid inthe tank. On the next rotation of the shaft 15, the blank will beadvanced toward the discharge opening ,but which, in the constructionshown in Fig. 1, it will not reach until the fourth revolution of theshaft, when it will be delivered onto the table 36 in convenientposition for the operator. Fi 1 illustrates the position of the blankswhile the shaft and conveyor are stationary, blank a having just beendeliveredfrom the magazine onto the conveyor, blank b having been passedthrough the tank and the excess liquid drainingoli, blank c Abeingproperly conditioned and kept so by the saturated atmosphere within thechamber.

After a box toe has been properly conditioned it is ordinarily assembledwith the upper and insole upon the shoe last and is then subjected tothe operation of a pullingover machine which roughly stretches vandpulls the upper over and around the last and secures it in positionbymeans of tacks preparatory to the lasting operation. In order toinsure ydelivery of a properly conditioned box toe within convenientreach of the operator of the pulling-over machine, it is desirable tolocate the conditioning mechanism adjacent the pulling-overmachine andto control the operation of the conditioning mechanism so that with eachcycle of operation of the pulling-over machine there `will be delivereda single conditioned box toe. In the illustrated embodiment of thepresent invention, such-an arrangement is shown in Fig. 4 in which theconditioning machine is located at the side of, and close to, apullingover machine of the type illustrated in Patent No. 663,777granted Dec. 11, 1900, upon an application iiled in the name of McFeely,only so much of the base and driving and controlling mechanism thereofbeing illustrated as is necessary for an understanding of the drivingand controlling connections iso . ing the instrumentalities on the upperpart or head of the machine is shown at 48 and has a correspondingfriction face or flange 49 for engagement Withthe flange 46 of thedriving pulley 45 When the loose pulley 48 is moved longitudinally ofthe shaft 44. The

. secured to the side of the conditioning maf' is, it is provi devicesfor moving the loose pulley,may be as shown in the patent identifiedabove, comprising 'the treadle 5l with the vertical treadle rod 52 andthe Wedge rod 53, and the other "connections .1nd devices as shown insaid patent. These connections and devices are such that depressing thetreadle`51 causes the pulley 48 to be given a single revolution and thento be stopped. This single revolution of the pulley 48 imparts a halfrevolution to the main shaft on vthe head of the machine, its pulleybeing double the size of the pulley 48, and durlng this half revolutionthe grippers seize the upper and pull the Asame over the last. In thedwell which follows this operation, the operator may readjust thegrippers or the upper upon the last, after which he will impart avsecond depression to the treadle which causes the pulley 48 to be'driven another revolution, andthe second half revolution given to themain shaft in the head, during which theI tacks are driven, all as shownand described in said patent.

It will be observed that in the operation of this pulling-over machinetwo actuations of the treadle are necessary .to cause the machine tovmake a single complete cycle of operations. v

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the driving andcontrolling devices for the conditioning machine are as follows. Fixedupon the rear end of the driving shaft 44 of the pulling-over machine isa small grooved driving pulley 55 for driving through'the belt 56 thepulley 57 on the counter-shaft 58 of the conditioning machine. Thiscounter-shaft rotates continuously in the bearings 59 in a bracket chineand carries at its front end a bevelled gear 61, a Horton ball or rollclutch beingv interposed between the gear .6l and the shaft 58. A pinionixed upon the shaft 15 of the conditioning machine is engagedby the gear61.

In order to impart a single continuous rotation of thepinion 63 andshaft 15 of the conditioning mechanism for each two actuations of thetreadle of the pulling-over machine, the gear 61 is of the intermittentor'mutilated tdype as shown in Fig. 5; that ed with teeth 65 for exactlyplete revolution will be imparted to the pinion and shaft, the gearteeth 65 then being in mesh with the teeth of the pinion.

The intermittent half revolutions `are given to the counter-shaft 58 bymeans of the Horton clutch, the collar 68 of which has oppositelydisposed stop shoulders 69 and 70. mounted in the bracket 59 on theconditioning machine, is raised with each actuation of the treadle7 51by means vofa rigid connecting bar 74 fixed at one end upon the-treadlerod 52 and at the other to the sleeve 75 secured to the rod 72.

The abutment forengaging the stop shoulders 69 and Z0 in the clutchlcollar 68 is 1n the form of a pin 7 7 mounted in a recess in a sleeve 79loose upon the rod 72 but held from turning thereon by means of a-splineor lkey 80. The pin is normally pressed out- Wardly by means of thespring 82 1tsout- Ward movement 'bein limlted by the collar 84.V Theinner end o `the pin is bevelled at 8,6 to engagea notch 87 in the rod72.

A vertically movable rod 72,.

`When the parts are in the position as shownfin Fig. 6, if the treadle51 is depressed the sleeve7 5 will be raised carrying' with it the rod72 and the abutment pin'7 and sleeve 79. The instant the abutment pinrises above the stop shoulder 69, the clutch is engaged and the bevelledgear 61 set in f operation. The disengagement of the in 77 permits thespring 82 to act, forclng t e pin outwardly and its bevelled end 86 outof the lirst actuation, the blank portion 66 of the gear 61 will at thistime have passed beneath the teeth of the pinion 6 3, and the pinion andthe lshaft and thek entire conditionln mechanism will remain stationary.s

As soon as the operator releases the treadle, therod 72 Will fall andthe notch 87 Will again be engaged by the bevelled shoulder 86 of theabutment pin 77. Upon the second actuation of the treadle the partsyWill be raised as before, the clutch collar released, and the clutchclosed for one-half a revolution of thecounter-shaft, and dur- 'ingthissecondlhalf-revolution of the counter-shaft the teeth 65 'on the gear 61,will

engage the pinion 63 and impart one complete revolution to the shaft ofthe condi- .tioning machine, causing a new blank to be delivered fromthe magazine, the blank delivered on the last previous actuation to bepassed through the conditionin liquid, the. previously treated blank tobe a vanced, and a properly conditioned blank to be delivered from theconditioning mechanism onto the bench or table ready to be assembledwith the upper preparatory to the next pullingover operation.

Thus for each two actuations of the treadle a single movement isimparted to the conditioning mechanism and a single conditioned box toeis delivered to the operator.

While the accompanying drawings and the foregoing specification describea specific form of machine designed and adapted for treating orconditioning box toe blanks by means of a liquid, it is to be understoodthat the present invention, except where so specified in the claims, isnot limited to the use of such a softening agent but maybe embodied inother forms of mechanism for treating or conditioning box toes in otherways.

Furthermore, where in the claims the word conditioning has beenemployed, this is to be understood as not necessarily limited to thesoftening of a previouslystiiened box toe blank but as defining andincluding any treatment or preparation of the box toe blank or othershoe part.

The combination with a machine for o erating upon shoes of aconditioning mac ine is not claimed herein but forms the subjectmatterof divisional a plicationSerial No. 704,206, which has become Patent No.1,635,627. 4 A

Having thus described the present invention what is claimed is:

1. A shoe stifener conditioning machine having, in combination, acarrier having projections of small cross-section on itsstiffener-supporting surface, a receptacle for liquid into which thecarrier dips, and means for actuating the carrier to cause thestiff'ener to be immersed in and carried out of the liquid.

2. A box toe conditioning machine comprising devicesl for treating bothsides ofthe ox toes and means for feeding the treated box toes, saidmeans engaging one side only of the treated box toes and having asurface which is'discontinuous both widthwise and lengthwise of saidfeeding means.

3. A box toe conditioning machine comrising a closed chamber, means for.applying a treating liquid to the box toes within the chamber tocondition the same and to maintain within the chamber an atmospheresubstantially saturated with the treating li uid, and mechanism forretaining a plura ity of treatedv box toes in the chamber and prising aclosed chamber, a tank Within the chamber containing the treatingliquid, an

endless conveyor for passing the box toes through the liquid and throughthe closed chamber, and mechanism for intermittently actuating theconveyor to pass a box toe through the tank without stopping and to stopwith a treated box toe Within the chamber and on a subsequent actuationof the conveyor to deliver the treated box toe from the chamber to theoperator.

5. A box toe conditioning machine comprising a closed chamber, amagazine to hold the untreated box toes, a tank within the chambercontaining the treating liquid, an endless conveyor comprising a belthaving wires extending from its supporting surface, devices fordelivering box toes from the magazine to the conveyor, and mechanism foractuating the conveyor topass the box toes `through the liquid in thetank and through the chamber, and means for flexing the conveyor to freethek treated box toe therefrom.

6. A box toe conditioning machine comprising conditioning means and aconveyor or thev conditioned box toes comprising a belt having aplurality of raised separated supports for the box toes, and aseparating finger positioned to pass between the raised supports andbeneath the level of the faces thereof.

7. A box' toe conditioning machine having, in combination, conditioningmechanism for conditioning both sides of box toes and means fordelivering conditioned -box toes comprising a belt and a plurality ofupstanding wires to support the conditioned box toe.

8. A box toe conditioning machine comprising conditioning means, aconveyor having its support-ing surface discontinuous transversely ofthe direction of movement for delivering the conditioned box toes, meansfor fiexing the conveyor, and a separator adjacent tlie flexing meansand extending beneath the supporting surface to separate the box toe frothe conveyor.

9. A boxwtqe conditioning machine having, in` combination, conditioningmeans, a conveyor 'for the conditioned box toes com prising abelt havingupstanding Wires on its supporting surface, and a comb having teethpositioned to pass between the wires and beneath the ends thereof toseparate a box toe from the conveyor.

10. A box toe conditioning' machine havthe tank for passing the box toesthrough the liquid, and devices engaging only a limited portion of thebox toes for holding the same on the conveyor as they are passingthrough the liquid.

11. A box toe conditioning machine having,- in combination, a tank forthe treating liquid, a conveyor for passing the box toes through theliquid, and springs for pressing the box toes against the conve or whenthe box toes are passing through t e liquid. 12,A box toe conditioningmachine having, in combination, conditioning means, a conveyor for theconditioned box toes, means for exing th'e conveyor, and means forexerting pressure upon the box toe adjacent the conveyor iiexing meansto separate the front edge of the conditioned box toe from the conveyor.

13. A box toe conditioning machine having, in combination, a closedchamber having an opening through which the conditioned box toes aredelivered, means for conditioning the boxtoes within the chamber, acon-\ veyor for delivering the conditioned box toes from theconditioning means through the opening, and an automatically operatingclosure for the opening.

l14. A box toe conditioning machine having, in combination, a closedchamber having an opening through which the conditioned lbox toes aredelivered, means within the chamber for conditioning the box toes, a

conveyor for delivering the conditioned box toes from the conditioningmeans through the opening, a swin ing door normally closing the opening,an a supporting pulley. for the conveyor adjacent the door for flexing'the conveyor to cause the latter to discharge a conditioned box toethrough the opening.

15. A box toe conditioning machine hav-- ing, in combination, a closedchamber provided With a discharge ,-opening, means within the chamberfor conditioning the box toes, a conveyor belt for delivering theconditioned box toes through the opening, a self-closing door for theopening, a supporting pulley for theconveyor belt adjacent the openingfor flexing the belt, and a. pressure device adjacent the opening forengaging the conditioned blank.

16. A box toe conditioning machine having, in combination, conditioningmeans, a

conveyor belt having a discontinuous supporting surface, and a separatorextending beneath the supporting surface of the belt for separating thebox toe from the belt.

17. A box toe conditioning machine hav- "ing, in combination, areceptacle for containing the treating liquid, an endless conveyor forpassing the box ltoes through the liquid, means for supporting anddriving tlie'conveyor adjacent the receptacle, the conveyor passingdirectly from lsaid means through the liquid in the receptacle, 'andauxiliary 'a discharge opening, means within the chamber forconditioning the box toes, a conveyor forvdelivering the box toes fromthe conditioning means through the"'openi1ig, a pivoted closure for theopening; and al pressure device adjacent the opening for pressing thebox toe .against the conveyorto insure the opening of the closureby thebox toe.

20. A box toe conditioning machine having, in combination, means forconditioning the box toes, a conveyor-belt for delivering theconditioned box toes, a pulley around which the belt is flexed, a combadjacent the belt lfor separating the box toe from the belt, and apressure device for engaging the box toe in advance of the comb.

' 21. A box toe conditioning machine having, in combination, devices`for treating both surfaces of the box toes, and feeding means for-feeding the box toes andmaintaining the same during the feedingoperation substantially flat and with the bottom surfaces only in`substantial engagement with said feeding means.

l 22. A box toe conditioning machine having, in combination, areceptacle for containing the treating liquid, an endless conveyor forpassi-ng the box toes throughthe liquid ing roll and a driving roll, thedriving roll being located adjacent to, and in advance of,the'receptacl'e, whereby the slack of the conveyor extends downwardlyinto the'receptacle and beneath theliquid.

24. A. box toe conditioning machine having, in combination, a tank forthe treating liquid, a conveyor adapted to engage the box toes on oneside only, the conveyor being passed through the tank, and stationarymeans associated with'the conveyor for causing the conveyor to beconcaved upward and for maintaining the box toes in engagement with theconveyor during their passage through `the tank.

25. A shoe stiffener conditioning machine comprising a receptacle for avolatile liquid,

- a closed chamber for fumes of the liquid, and

means for carrying a stiffener irst in a short interval through the liuid and then 1n a longer interval through t 1e fumes.

26. A shoe stifener conditioning machine comprising a receptacle for avolatile liquid, a closed chamber for fumes of the liquid, and means forcarrying a stifener first in a short interval through the liquid andthen in a longer interval through the fumes, the carrying meanscomprising a plurality of upstanding projections upon which thestii'ener is supported whereby the stiiener is subjected on both sidesto the action of the liquid and to that of the fumes. A

27. A shoe stiffener conditioning machine comprising a receptacle for avolatile liquid, a closed chamber for fumes of the liquid, and means forcarrying a stiffener first continuously through the liquid and thenintermittently through the fumes.

28. A shoestiffener conditioning machine comprising a receptacle for avolatile liquid, a closed chamber for fumes of the liquid, and

' means for carrying a stiflener first continumersed in and carried outof the liquid, and

ously through the liquid and then intermittently through the fumes, saidcarrying means being adapted to engage the stiffener at separatedlocalities in such manner as to expose substantially all. of the surfaceo-f the stifener to the liquid and to the fumes.

29. A shoe stiifener conditioning machine comprising a carrier havingprojections of small cross-section on its supporting surface, areceptacle for conditioning liquid into which the carrier dips, meansfor actuating the carrier to cause the stiiener to be ima stripper toseparate the conditioned stiener from the carrier.

30. A shoe stiffener conditioning machine comprising a carrier havingraised separated supports of small cross-section on its operative face,a receptacle for conditioning liquid into which the carrier dips, apresser for forcing the stiffener against the. carrier, and means foroperating the carrier to cause it to carry the stlil'ener throughtheliquid.

31. A shoe stifener conditioning machine comprising a carrier havingraised separated supports of small cross-section on its operative face,a L receptacle for conditioning liquid into which the carrier dips, apresser for forcing the stiffener against the carrier, and means foroperating the carrier to cause it to carry the stiffener through theliquid,

the rate of speed of the carrier and the extent of the travel of thestiener through the 1i uid being such that the immersion of thestiil'ener is momentary.

STANLEY P. LovELL.

